Machine for spraying leather



May 29, 1923. 1,456,783

E J. D. CHAPMAN MACHINE FOR SPRAYING LEATHER Filed April 15, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet l g woe-r1 (01,

May 29, 1923.

Filed April 15 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cha/Lma/n 5 @LLJW W (Haun May 29,1923. 1,456,783

J. D. CHAPMAN MACHINE FOR SPRAYING LEATHER Filed April 15'. 1922 3Sheets-Sheet '5 5 I 4 I v 3 Mum M01,

JD. Cha/zmam ner and saving material, in

Patented May 29, 1923.

UNITE- s'rwrs MACHINE roe "SPRJAYIN'G LEATHER.

Application filed a i-nis, 1a2'2 Serial 553,256:

To allwiwm it mayconcem:

Beitknown that I, JOHN D.' CHAPMAN, a citizenf'of'the,United States,resicling at Richwood; in the countyof Nicholas and State of VestVirginia have invented certain-new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor SprayingLeather, of which the following is a specification,reference being had tothe accompanying drawings. This invention relatesto the art of sponging and washing hides, sides of leather, andotherllike articles and applying washing compounds thereto, andparticularly to a machine whereby thisoperation may be performed. Y a Inthe present methods of Washing hides andsides of leather, etc a greatdeal of liquid used in-t-reating and -wasted, and furthermore theoperator getshis'clothes soiled' and is more or less drenched withthe-liquid used for treating the leather.

The general object: of the present invention is to overcome thisdifliculty bypro viding. a machine for this purpose which will save bothlabor: and materiaL the machine being so constructed that one man canoperate the machine andido'the work of twelve men operating in theordi'nary manthat 'very little of the liquid is spilled A furtherobject'isto provide a machine of thisccharacter in which asprayingdevice is used-and endless belts are provided which carry the leatherbeneath thespraying device so that; all that: is necessary to-do' is tofeedthe sides of leather or the hides onto the. machine, which arecarried automatically beneath the spraying device andthen dischargedautomatically upon a "truck "or other receptacle stillranother objectis-to provide an endless conveyor. for this purpose consisting of: aplurality of chains, eachof thesefichain's carrying supports for theleather, which-are adapted to lift up one margin ofth'eside or hide offof thesupports on which they are initially placedand permit the hide orside to sli p down on the supports andbe-carried by theflaendlesschains,thesupports thentllllllIlgflQ as-to discharge the hides onto a triu ck.

Anotherxobject is to provide". a tank -dis posed beneath the conveyorupon which the liquid "fromgthej; hides drains 'and providea I g p pumpm king l quid- "frem this tank? and-dis perforated on: its sundel fac fat the leather is spilledcharging; it to a any waste of liq sp'rayer t vuid. I

'er'eby prevent Other objects 'willra'ppear in the coursepf thefollowing description;

My invention is illustrated. in ee am.

panying drawings, wherei n.:'-- 1 Figure l-is' atop'planview ofi a'leatheir treat-ingmachine co with my invention I Figure 2 is a :frontelevation of' chine shown in Figure 1;

. Figure dis at chine;

Figure '5 1s a Figure 6 is a structlon shown:

nstructed' in accordance the ma ransverse section of theina "top planviewof apart-i of the "endless chain showing the fingersg iside-elevation of'the conin Figure '5 Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectionsame plane as Figure position of a fi nger as seen that mymachineromprises a upon the main 1'' beams 12, 1s a transverse sh uponit aplura At the-front of' mounted, carrying upon it a t-ransverse yinga plurality: of Theshaft l5 is drii 'en ar wheel 120,. in turn 'driye'nshaft 18, sprocket wheels by "means of a ge by a pinion 21 0 rying aband whee ;in turn carr Mounted upon on the 4," but showing the it turnsfrom' the lower to the upper flight.

Referringyto these= drawings; it will he frame" vertic-al members =10suit transverseameg these by -a longia support:

the-machineva bracket 17 is may be drivenr from i any source of and a.pulley25;

Mounted upon the lower portion frame is a tank the lower portio ugalpump 27 whose:-

wheel' 29: driven ley 25. This constituting f a Fromthe pump extends ade-1-ivery1pipe33 upward and 1 then extends 'I l the longitudinallyra asat '34: This cross the top :portion "34 1 of:; the

l 23 'Whereby the shaft" power;

of the I 26, and also mounted} upon the frame is a centrifshaft 28carries by a band: 30' fromthe 'pul pumphas: an intake pipe 31 whichextends iiito the tank ee-and takes'f liquid therefrom throughaiperfdrated h'ead screen and"designated321- a band" finger.

prong 45.

to cause liquid to be discharged in streams or in the form of a. spraydownward upon the hide or side of leather.

Designed to operate over the sprocket wheels 16 and 19 are the endlesschains 36 illustrated in detail in Figure 6. These endless chains aresprocket chains and at intervals there are provided links '37 whichextend upward to form parallel ears, and pivoted betweerftheseears arethe fingers 38 which extend longitudinally of the chain and parallel totheupper flight oft-he chain. These fingers 38 have downward projections39'which are so formed as-to extend through a link of the chain. Theopposite'edge faces of the fingers are formed with upwardly andforwardly extending stops 10 having enlargements ii at theirextremities. The fingers are urged into a position parallel to the chainby means of springs 4L2 which extend around the pintle 43 of each fingerand arch over the rear portion of the At intervals in the length of thechain and between each pair of fingers, and preferably disposed adjacentthe I end of each finger, is a link 44 having an upwardly and rearwardlyextending spike or In order to keep the chain taut, I provide alongitudinally extending shaft 46 mountedin a sliding bearing 47, thisbearing being mounted between vertical guides 48, each bearing beingurged downward by a spring 49. Mounted upon this shaft 46 are aplurality of sprocket wheels 50 coacting with the several chains 36 andintermeshing with said chain and acting as chain tighteners in anobvious manner.

Extending downward from the longitudinally extending beam 13 aredownwardly and forwardly extending guides in the form of slats anddesignated 51, each of these guides or slats having an upwardly andforwardly projecting pin'52. It will be seen that the chains 36'are sodisposed that the fingers 38 pass between two of the slats in thecourseof their travel.

In the operation of this mechanism, the machine is driven by powercommunicated to the pulley 23, which causes the pump to withdraw liquidfrom the tank 26 and discharge it through the perforated pipe 34. Theside of leather which is to be treated i with the compound is placed onthe guides 51 and rests upon the pins 52. The side of leather is held.in this position until the series of fingers 38 lift it clear of thesepins. The side ofleather slides down on these fingers untilit strikesthe stops or hook-shaped members 40. The side of leather is then carriedtoward the front 'of the machine beneath the spray of compound from pipe34 and when it reaches the front of the machine and after passingthrough the spray, the fingers turn over and deposit the side of leatheronto a truck with the sprayed side down, the hooks e0 holdingthe leatheruntil it is deposited upon the truck. The spikes or prongs 45 act toprevent the leather from slipping on the conveyor chains as it travels.The springs 42 hold the fingers up when they are returning with thelower flight of the endless chains. A shield 53 extends downward fromthe beam 13 and forward into the tank so as to prevent the operator frombeing splashed with liquid and so as to drain all surplus liquid backinto the tank. Of course, this machine may be used for treating hides byusing salt water in the tank 26, and different compounds are to be usedfor treating difierent leathers; It will be seen that in the operationof this device, the fingers travel approximately sponding fingers of theseveral chains until the leatherstrikes the hooks 4:0which constitutestops. along and with the chains being held from movement by the prongsv 15, until the fingers passover the front sprocket wheels 19. As thefingers reach the front sprocket wheels, the sprocket teeth will engagethe projections 39 on the corresponding fingers and will tip the fingersoutward or into angular relation to the chain. The hooks,

however, will engage the'leather so that the leather will not slip offuntil the finger has become almost overturned. when the leather willslip off and onto the truck pro vided for that purpose. It will thus beseen that the hide or side of leather does not have to be'touched fromthe time it is placed upon the guides 51' until it is re-' moved fromthe truck.

The leather then travels hile I have illustrated a construction whichhas been found thoroughly effective in practice, I do'not wish to belimited thereto, as it is obvious that many changes might be made in thedetails without departing from the spirit 'of the invention.

I claim:'- 1. A machine of the character described including asupporting frame, a seriesof conveyor chains mounted upon the frame.

and traveling from front to rear thereof,

means for driving the chains, and rearwardly directed fingers forsupporting the leather normally extending parallel to and resting uponthe upper flight of the chains,

said fingers being pivoted to the chains,

whereby the fingers'may turn over from a' relation to Cal incenseposition parallel to the chains to ;a ;position at an angle :theretozasathe rfingers :pass from the upper :to zthe ilowver-flightsof :thechains. 2. A machine .of the character described including .a supportingframe, a series :of conveyor chains :mounted upon the -rframe and:traveling from front zto .rear athereof, means for -dri.ving:,thechains, .rearwardly directed lfingers normally :extending, parallel toand resting upon the :upper flight oifrthe chains, :sai'd ifingers beingrpivotedto the chains for limited movement iuto angular the lowerIflightpf the "chain, whereby said fingersmay turn overfrom a position.parallel to the upper flightof the chains to "a position at .an :anglethereto .as the fingers .pass ifrom .the upperito :the flower flightofthechains, and means'lfor causing the i-fingers to-be directedrearwardly at :an angle :to; the chains :as tlle ifingers pass from thelower to the upper flight;0f:the chains.

A .machine :of the character described including a supporting frame, aseries of conveyor chains mounted upon the-frame and traveling-fromffIOILt to rrear thereof, means for driving the chains, rearwardlydirected fingers normally extending parallel to and resting upon theupper fligl'it ofthe chains, said fingers being pivoted to the chainsforlimited movement into angular relation to the lower flight of thechain, whereby said fingers may turn over from a position parallel tothe upper flight of the chains to a position at an angle thereto as thefingers pass from the upper to the lower flight of the chains, means forcausing the fingers to be directed rearwardly at an angle to the chainsas the fingers pass from the lower to the upper flight of the chains,and guides extending downward adjacent to the path of movement of thefingers as they pass from the lower to the upper flight of the chains,the fingers passing between said guides.

4. A machin of the character described comprising a supporting frame, aplurality of endless chains, a plurality of pairs of sprocket wheelsupon which the chains are mounted, means for driving the sprocketwheels, a series of fingers pivoted at intervals upon each chain andextending in the same direction, means yieldingly holding the fingers ina position parallel to the chain and extending in a direction reverse tothe direction of travel of the chain, a series of guides extendindownward and forward from the top of tlie frame and between which guidessaid fingers pass as they move from the under flight of the chain to theupper flight thereof, each of said guides'having pins'extending upwardtherefrom to support the edge of the leather, and means for keeping allof said chains taut.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a supporting frame, aplurality of endless chains, a plurality of pairs of through an adjacentsprocket :zwheels upon "which the chains {are mounted; means for drivingthe sprocket Wheels, {series .of' fingers pivoted at intervals :up'omeach .chain and extending in thesameidircctiommeans:yieldinglymoldinglthe fingers :intoxa\position'parallel tothe c ain and extendingdna direction; reverse to the 1leather, and means for keeping all ofrsaid chains-taut." 1 56.:-A":machine of .1 the character describe-d comprising :a supportingframe, a plurality of endless chains, a plurality of 'pairs'of sprocket*whels upon which the chains are mounted,flmeans;for driving thesprocket wheels a'series of fingers pivoted-at'inter- Va'ls upon-eachchainsand e'xtending in the same-=direction, means yieldinglyi holdingtheifingers-into a ,positionipara'llel to the chain and extending .inadirection reverse to the direction of travelpf' the chain, each of said:fingers having arportion projecting adapted to be engaged and lifted bythe link of the chain and teeth of a sprocket wheel into angular re- Ilation to the chain and each of said fingers on its opposite edge facebeing provided with a rearwardly projecting hook.

7; A machine of the character described comprising a supporting frame, atank mounted upon the base of the frame, parallel shafts mounted uponthe frame above the tank, one of said shafts being in advance of theframe, wheels carried upon each of said shafts, endless chains passingover said sprocket wheels, an intermediate shaft mounted in verticallymovable bearin s and having sprocket wheels'engaging t e links of saidendless chains, springs urging said last named shaft downward, a seriesof leather supporting fingers pivoted at intervals to a plurality ofsprocket- Y each chain and normally extending parallel thereto andrearward with relation to the movement of thevchain, springs yieldinglyholding the fingers parallel to the chains,

means at the rear of' the frame for discharging the leather onto saidfingers, a

spray pipe mounted upon the upper portion of the frame and dischargingdownward a pump taking liquid discharging it into the and dischargingdownward, a series of endless sprocket chains carried upon the framebelow the spray pipe, a transverse shaft mounted on the rear ofthe'frame and carrying sprocket wheels engaging said chains, atransverse shaft carried upon the frame forwardof the front thereof andcarrying sprocket wheels engaging the chain, certain of the links ofeach chain having outwardly projecting ears, a series of fingers pivotedto said ears and extending .rearward with relation to the direction ofmovement of the chain and normally extending parallel thereto, each ofsaid fingers having a projection'extending through an adjacent linkof-the chain and adapted to be engaged by the teeth of said sprocketwheel to thereby lift the fingers, springs resisting any lifting of thefingers and yieldingly urging them parallel to the chain,each of saidfingers opposite said projecting portion having a hook, a plurality ofdownwardly and forwardly extending guides attached to the rear of thetable and between which guides the fingers pass, pins outwardlyprojecting from r the guides, and means for supplying liquid to-thespray pipe and drivingsaid sprocket Wheels.

9. Ina machine for treating leather, a series of endless conveyors, aseries of guides discharging onto the endless conveyors and having meansfor impeding the descent of leather over said, guides,means carried bythe endless conveyors for lifting the lower margin of-the leather off ofsaid guides and beyond said impeding means and onto said conveyors, andmeans for overturning the leather and discharging theleather from theconveyor at one termination of the upper flight of'the conveyors.

10. In a machine of the character described, a spray pipe, a series ofendless conveyors passing beneath the spray pipe, a series of guidesdischarging onto the endless conveyors each guide having an upwardlyextending member preventing the descent of leather from said guides,means carried by the endless conveyors for lifting the lower margin ofthe leather off of said guides, above said means and onto the endlesschains, means for overturning the leather after it has passed the spraypipe and discharging the leather from the endless chains, a tankdisposed below the endless conveyors, and a pump connected to the tankand discharging into said spray pipe.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN 1). CHAPMAN,

